1. Field of the Invention
This patent application pertains to a medical device and more specifically, pertains to a digital display for an inflation system for a balloon catheter.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Inflation devices are currently used in several vascular procedures, the most of which is balloon angioplasty. During this procedure, a balloon catheter is inserted into peripheral artery and is moved through the vasculature to the coronary arteries, where it is positioned the lesion to be dilated. The inflation device is then attached to the proximal end of the balloon catheter, and mechanical force is applied to the fluid in the balloon via the inflation device. The appropriate pressure is maintained on the balloon until reshaping of the atherosclerotic lesion is complete. A vacuum is then created by the inflation device to facilitate removal of the balloon from the vasculature.
Prior art pressure displays are analog meters operating on the deflection of a mechanical entity with application of pressure. Specifically, a bourden tube gauge with a C-shaped planar form and a rectangular cross section expands when pressurized. The C-portion is connected to a linkage which turns the needle for indicating pressure. The disadvantages of this technology are difficulty in providing medically clean passages in the gauge, lack of readability of gauge under low level lighting, need for another instrument to measure time, and inability to automatically and permanently record history of the inflation.
The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a digital display for an inflation system for a balloon catheter. The digital display digitizes the pressure and presents the pressure information and elapsed time on a digital display, and also provides for storage of such information on a data acquisition system, such as a personal computer. In addition, most sensors are sealed, providing for convenient mounting to the device with minimal and easily cleaned passageways.